Lets talk about some real shit - -1

Posted by
nomad69 on 05.03.16San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

I am sad to see that instagram is the new tattoo world, little pictures that can be seen seconds later, there is something really wrong with the fact that you can see whats going on everywhere in the world, some tattooer is probably taking artsy pictures of his line drawings with a red pencil for scale as we speak and posting them for glory, posting for likes. Put hey, I won't judge any more, very rude of me. I will say that I don't mind seeing good work being advertised, but there are some serious whores out there just whoring out every single little thing and it is just so incredibly devoid of soul. I think the world would benefit if every artist took a chill pill on making available every design they do, I am always really impresses by dudes who are deliberate in what they show. I just got done reading all the Tattootime magazines by Ed Hardy, thank God for those books because they revitalize my love for tattoo after all the people just take a massive dump on it, also, got my hands on a "fanzine" magazine called Tribal Tattoo Fanzine, and it is pure Gold, GOLD, classic interviews with real tattooers that think popular tattoo culture is dog shit, people who know what is up, dudes that put in the time to draw and have their own style, and not manufacture soulless designs. To tell you a bit about me, I am welder, I build custom metal furniture, make beams, hand rails, I make it all. On the side, I get a lot of tattoos and it is all I think about, obsessed. I spend a lot of time studying, drawing, maybe one day tattoo will become my life dedication as a craft, but until then, I sift through the madness of what tattooing is today, trying to understand what it has become and what left of it can be mine to cherish. I care a lot about this craft. I want to hear some people say some real shit, talk about your love of this craft. Say something real.

Replies:

RE:Lets talk about some real shit - -1

Posted by
James on 05.04.16United States

Hey man i have to say that the old days of tattooing are in fact long gone and for the most part being lost in a deep hole of crap that we call technology. now dont get me wrong i believe in technology as far as a way of learning and becoming a better artist. but now days our great craft is being handed out to any knuckle head that can google it .when i first saw a tattoo, man i was like damn thats cool. and i knew from that day that i would learn the craft i was 14 then and i went through a world of shit to learn all i could. by the way, a week after i saw my first tattoo i did a hand poke on my arm and thought i was a bad ass. mom showed me otherwise lol. back then only hardcore dudes wore tattoos and it was almost impossible to have a guy to teach you . you had to prove to someone you were worthy.i dont know if you care but i have a little story for you .when i was 14 i ran into this dude in Kentucky called wolf and man that dude was a bad ass he had wolves tattooed all over him. long ass beard, leather coat and rings on every finger. he spent ten years tattooing his own back piece in mirrors, strapping his machines to sticks and going at it. and you talk about clean lines, wow.he was a dude that was scary as hell and he had this little crappy shed he built at this old ass flea market. on the weekends that's where he was and back then if you wanted a tattoo you had to find him, kinda like finding a virgin in a whore house. he was a dude that didn't need the money nor did he care about it . you had to prove to him that you deserved a tattoo. he would make you do all kinds of crazy shit. i saw him once knock a young dude out the door way took off his belt, whipped his ass and then pulled his ass to the tattoo chair and put this bad ass reaper on this kid as he sat there like what the hell just happened.the whole time wolf was laughing his ass off. when i look back i cant believed that i had the honor of knowing him. so he was my start to it all. i got to hang in his doorway and watch, after he ran me off 20 times and running to get him things every ten minutes. about 7 years ago i got thinking of wolf so paid my respect to him by tattooing my lower back forearm in a mirror and man i still don't know how the hell he did that. anyway i have so many more stories like that to tell and some day i may find a soul that is worthy to teach and tell all the old ways too.but for now i have not. and that sucks. anyway i completely understand what you are saying about all the crap that is out there and now days cash can teach anyone to tattoo but it cant teach what some of us have. we have the life and soul of tattooing we have a craft that we can be proud of.its in bedded in us. and all the new masses will never have that . i have spent the last 20 some years chasing the craft and learning all i can about it. its been something that i eat, sleep and love daily.i take great pride in what i do and i love all the crazy shit i have seen through out the years of bikers, ghettos, and misfits. sorry young bloods Cash and Google cant give you that. so man don't feel bad there are still some of us prideful tattooers out there. i will have my machines with me when they put me six feet under.